Baltimore Development News

[since1989]

Originally Posted by jamie_hunt

The traffic circle is fine but the sculpture ... looks craptacular.

I think the circle is too small to feature two traffic lanes. They reduced the one in Towson to one lane after many accidents. The sculpture will look good sprinkled with plastic taillight lenses.

Today's banner reminds me of the Mechanic Theater.

[Gsol]

Originally Posted by since1989

Today's banner reminds me of the Mechanic Theater.

Yes, I see the resemblance. Hopefully that hunk of junk will be history soon Haven't heard much about it in a while. But with all the talk of new apartments downtown the demand for that project should be enhanced.

[Gsol]

Originally Posted by Scba

First there was man/woman, and now...brass knuckles/brass knuckles?

The "Brass knuckles", as bad as it is, is nowhere as hideous as the "Man/Woman". The M/W because of its size and location makes it especially abhorrent.

[murfneil]

Rather than a sculpture I wish the roundabout would feature a fountain that down the road (ooh, I should be PUNished for that) would a smaller but complementary bookend to a revamped McKeldin fountain.

[KLynch]

For the record, the statue in those renderings means nothing. Just something the architects through in there just like the pictures of hipsters on headphones in building renderings.

[Coldspring]

Originally Posted by KLynch

Thanks for sharing. A friend of mine married into one of those families in that area, they love living really close to each other.

I think it's a dumb blanket statement when people say there are good things going on downtown and the surrounding areas but the rest of the city is not making any improvements and losing population. Canton is not downtown, Hampden is not downtown, Remington is not downtown, Greenmount West is not downtown, Hamilton is not downtown. And you just look at pockets in Northwest around that area, good things going on in Southwest, good things going on in parts of Northeast, little improvements in the Druid/Mondawmin area.

Baltimore has some crappy areas, there is no doubt about it, but it has a heck of a lot more solid areas than people give it credit for and a whole lot of positive things going on that don't get the attention of a new 5-star hotel.

True...people love making statements like " the city is a ghetto outside of the inner harbor" and have no clue on some of the solid neighborhoods that are the backbone of the City... CHAI of Baltimore http://chaibaltimore.org/index.aspx has been responsible for much of the success of the neighborhods of NW Baltimore in the Upper Park Heights Area. I know that they are affiliated with many of the jewish organizations in the City of which many are rooted in NW Baltimore jewish neighborhoods. I wish that CHAI would extend its reach south of Northern Parkway into Clyburn. Clyburn is next to the Arboretum and Sinai is a transitional neighborhood. Its bordered by Sinai/Levindale on the north, Coldspring Newtown on the east and more or less sections of Central Park Heights on the south and west which is why it is in a state of transition (up or down depends on your perspective) The area has wonderful rowhomes, duplexes and detached four squares that could be rehabbed. Its close enough to Sinai to attract workers from there...but alas Northern Parkway is a moat and separates the success of upper Park Heights from "central" Park Heights.. ...which is why Pimlico Racetrack is the key.. but we have beaten that dead horse to death.. pun intended..

[jamie_hunt]

Originally Posted by Eerik

... It's a shame so many schools left downtown for fresh air and greenery. You can't blame them. They also needed space to grow. The only remaining somewhat downtown'ish prep I can think of is the Institute of Notre Dame on the east side. All others pretty much packed-up and moved out.

Boys Latin was booted from Brevard Street by urban renewal.

[TommyCarcetti]

Red Line Station Designs:

http://www.baltimoreredline.com/maps...gn?layout=blog

[Dirk Ironside]

Originally Posted by TommyCarcetti

Red Line Station Designs:

http://www.baltimoreredline.com/maps...gn?layout=blog

Some day 25 years from now I'll tell my children about the great engineer/architect/planner stimulus package that was the redline pipedream.

[pertplus]

Originally Posted by Gsol

The "Brass knuckles", as bad as it is, is nowhere as hideous as the "Man/Woman". The M/W because of its size and location makes it especially abhorrent.

Maybe intertwined post-modern keys? Key Circle. It's got a ring to it, no?

The part that is heartening is that it seems that the area is being placed on a road diet. Light St. and Key Highway are about one lane too wide as they are right now. Great for the Grand Prix but not really good for getting people to transition from the Harbor to the other areas surrounding it.

[scando]

Originally Posted by jamie_hunt

True.

And yet it's a joint project of Marty Azola -- who does outstanding restoration work -- and Eddie Brown, who runs his own successful investment firm and lives in a mansion a little further up the street. Both are deeply committed to the neighborhood and to the city.

What are they seeing that we're not?

Azola has done some excellent work near me in the old Rockland Village on Falls Road where he transported and reassembled several endangered 18th century houses into the village. Selling those was no challenge and Rockland might be the only historic site around here that now has MORE old buildings than it once had. I think he takes these restoration projects to heart and I hope he doesn't burn out on this hotel project. As nice as the building is (I've been inside it in its faded 19th century glory), I have a hard time thinking that a high-end hotel will work there.

[jamie_hunt]

Originally Posted by scando

Azola has done some excellent work near me in the old Rockland Village on Falls Road where he transported and reassembled several endangered 18th century houses into the village. Selling those was no challenge and Rockland might be the only historic site around here that now has MORE old buildings than it once had. I think he takes these restoration projects to heart and I hope he doesn't burn out on this hotel project. As nice as the building is (I've been inside it in its faded 19th century glory), I have a hard time thinking that a high-end hotel will work there.

Yeah. Seems like a stretch. Hope I'm wrong.

[KLynch]

Azola has teamed up on the Raffel building project at Clarkson and Heath in SoBo. I was definitely excited after talking to him, especially when he said he won't build anything the community doesn't want.

Plans are also being revealed for a development at 1201 South Charles St. tonight, which is the vacant buildings right next to Ropewalk.

[jamie_hunt]

Originally Posted by Dirk Ironside

Some day 25 years from now I'll tell my children about the great engineer/architect/planner stimulus package that was the redline pipedream. ...

I'm lucky. I get to tell my kids now.

Gambling. Gay marriage. Transit geeks. Gotta give O'Malley credit for gifting the constituencies he'll need to make a run for the White House in 2016. Too bad there's no way in heck Hillary will be denied the Democratic nomination a second time.

[Eerik]

Originally Posted by jamie_hunt

Boys Latin was booted from Brevard Street by urban renewal.

Yup, and at the time, Boys Latin also almost folded due to financial problems. Of the three co-owners, only one (Fred Hahn) wanted to stay downtown. The other two partners had their sights set on the northern horizon where cheaper land was to be found on one of many old country estates that was being sold at the time.

It's amazing to consider all of the old schools found along the upper spine of Howard Street and the Bolton Hill area. Boys Latin next to Mt. Royal Station on Brevard, Bryn Mawr for women on Preston and the old University School for Boys, known as Marston's School close by on Cathedral Street. Friends School at Park Avenue, Lafayette School at Park Avenue and Hoffman Street. And of course Hopkins University at Howard and Ross Street.

Another factor that also came into play was racism. Not so much African-American racism:

In the 1983 book, "Friends for Two Hundred Years: A History of Baltimore’s Oldest School" written by Dean R. Esslinger, he reflects upon changes to the original neighborhood (and newly acquired land for athletic fields on the outskirts of the city) in the 1920-40s. Concern was over the recent surge of immigrants from Eastern Europe and Russia and a general polluting of academic excellence by these groups.

So today one can only imagine the power of demographics at play...

[k25150]

Originally Posted by jamie_hunt

I'm lucky. I get to tell my kids now.

Gambling. Gay marriage. Transit geeks. Gotta give O'Malley credit for gifting the constituencies he'll need to make a run for the White House in 2016. Too bad there's no way in heck Hillary will be denied the Democratic nomination a second time.

Won't she be 74 then? I think Cuomo wants to run. I'm no lib but I'd take him over Hillary. Martin won't win. He has zero personality and is an unprincipled soulless thug. On second thought, in the new America, he has a great shot.

[Eerik]

Originally Posted by k25150

Won't she be 74 then? I think Cuomo wants to run. I'm no lib but I'd take him over Hillary. Martin won't win. He has zero personality and is an unprincipled soulless thug. On second thought, in the new America, he has a great shot.

We need a "Like" button here as they do on Facebook...

[30 Floors Up]

Originally Posted by jamie_hunt

I'm lucky. I get to tell my kids now.

Gambling. Gay marriage. Transit geeks. Gotta give O'Malley credit for gifting the constituencies he'll need to make a run for the White House in 2016. Too bad there's no way in heck Hillary will be denied the Democratic nomination a second time.

Perhaps you kids will turn out gay and get to ride the light rail to the casino, or in your case, the church bingo hall (for fellowship of course). I think you would be much more content living in Mississippi!

[murfneil]

Originally Posted by k25150

Won't she be 74 then? I think Cuomo wants to run. I'm no lib but I'd take him over Hillary. Martin won't win. He has zero personality and is an unprincipled soulless thug. On second thought, in the new America, he has a great shot.

She'll need a running mate. Cuomo might be too much personality for that role, whereas Marty might fit the bill. A couple of years as VP might strengthen his bid for the big chair.

[Coldspring]

Originally Posted by jamie_hunt

I'm lucky. I get to tell my kids now.

Gambling. Gay marriage. Transit geeks. Gotta give O'Malley credit for gifting the constituencies he'll need to make a run for the White House in 2016. Too bad there's no way in heck Hillary will be denied the Democratic nomination a second time.

VEEP starring Martin O'Malley...I think he will take what he can get...